Guarana ( Paullinia cupana ) is a climbing plant, evergreen, belonging to the Sapindaceae family .
Thanks to their stimulating properties, its seeds are used in case of mental and physical fatigue or depression . Let's find out better.
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Properties of guarana
Guarana seeds are rich in guaranine, an active ingredient similar to caffeine. This component promotes the release of two hormones, called adrenaline and noradrenaline (catecholamines), thanks to its competitive antagonist action against adenosine receptors. Catecholamines cause the acceleration of body metabolism, heart rate, arterial pressure and the number of respiratory acts (thus increasing blood oxygenation).
For this reason, guarana is recommended as a stimulant in case of mental and physical fatigue, depression, asthenia and convalescence. In sports, guarana extracts are successfully used to improve the ability to withstand physical effort; and is recommended to those who study to increase intellectual activity.
It is also used for its slimming properties in diets and weight control treatments, because it stimulates the production of enzymes capable of dissolving fats (lipolysis) with a consequent reduction in subcutaneous fat deposits.
Guarana is a useful plant adaptogen against stress. Discover the others
Method of use
INTERNAL USE
2 tablets of micronized seed powder (or flour) in the morning after breakfast
Contraindications of guarana
Excessive and uncontrolled use of guarana has side effects : hypertension, tachycardia, palpitations, insomnia, tremor anxiety, nausea, vomiting, headaches and convulsions, in the presence of serious psychiatric illnesses, during pregnancy and lactation.
Do not take for more than 3 months and in combination with neuro stimulating drugs. Account indicated in case of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hyperthyroidism and kidney problems.
Description of the plant
Climbing plant, evergreen, can spontaneously reach up to 13 m. of height; it can either lean against the trees of the forest (without creating any kind of damage to the other plant), or stand erect without support.
It has a light green bark on the young branches which becomes, however, brown on the trunk and on the greater branches.
The leaves are alternate with short stalk, leathery, glossy green on the upper side, opaque green on the lower one; they have an entire margin and main pinnate ribs.
The flowers are white, briefly pedunculated, single or, more often, collected in groups of up to fifteen / twenty.
The fruit is a very consistent drupe, with a fiery red parchment epicarp, a whitish parenchymatous mesocarp which contains the woody endocarp (or seed) which becomes the size of a pea after drying.
The habitat of the guarana
Native of the Amazonian forest, where it grows spontaneously along the rivers. This plant is also grown for industrial purposes; its cultivation is mainly concentrated in the municipalities of Maués and Urucarà, located along the Amazon River, east of Manaus.
Background
Sacred plant for many tribes of Indios, which they used as a elixir of long life, for its tonic-stimulating and adaptogenic effect.
It was also used to fight diarrhea, to relieve menstrual pain, for the diseases that weakened - and also to be able to sharpen the senses, a purpose certainly linked to the fact that the plant itself has " eyes to see" . Because of its strange fruit, which reminds us of the eyes, many legends and myths were born.
One of these has as its protagonist a girl with a gentle look and soul; his name was Cereaporanga and was protected by the goddess of beauty and life.
One day Cereaporanga met a brave warrior of an enemy tribe that he fell in love with. However, despite their love, the two lovers would never have been able to stop the hatred that had existed for years between the two clans; so they decided to run away together to be happy.
On the way, Cereaporanga came across a wounded anaconda and, despite the danger, her sweet heart prompted her to help her.
Because of this "pause", the warriors of his tribe came closer and closer; when he was certain that his man would be captured and killed, he established a pact of love and death: he asked the big snake to hold them, with all his strength, in their last embrace.
The Indians, seeing the two lovers in their last gesture, are desperate for the death of their protégé. They immediately asked the goddess of beauty and life for help, so that at least the woman's spirit would not abandon them; thus the goddess, moved by the gesture of Cereaporanga, gave birth to a plant from her eyes whose fruits seem, two splendid black eyes; just like those of the most beautiful girl.
